Watch display case



June 2 1959 F. E. BLOD 2,889,037

WATCH DISPLAY CASE Filed March 6, 1957 2 SheetsSheet 1 10 4/2623 1 5124? ZZ/WMJW 429/,

June 2, 1959v F. E. BLOD WATCH DISPLAY CASE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 6, 1957 1 Claim. (Cl. 206-4515) assignor to Far- Heights,

This invention relates to the packaging of jewelry, and in particular it relates to display cases for watches and the like.

It is an object of the invention to provide a display case wherein an article such as a watch is elevated into a display position when the case is opened.

It is a further object to provide an improved mechanism for elevating the article to be displayed, which mechanism is extremely simple to construct and yet is efiective and fool-proof in operation.

The novel features of the invention, together with further objects and advantages thereof, will become readily apparent from the following description wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the case according to the present invention with the cover open;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view like that of Fig. 1 except with the cover closed;

Fig. 3 is a plan view on an enlarged scale of the case according to the present invention with the cover open and portions thereof cut away to show more clearly the manner in which the case is constructed;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3 but on a slightly larger scale than Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view like that of Fig. 4 except with the cover closed.

With reference now to the drawings, it will be observed that the body of the case according to the present invention is constituted by a base shell and a cover shell 11. Base shell 10 has a substantially flat base wall 12, a pair of upstanding side walls 13 and a front wall formed in two sections 15 and 16. Section 15, which is of stepped construction, extends generally upwardly and forwardly at an obtuse angle to the plane of the base wall, and section 16 extends upwardly and rearwardly from the first-named section 15 at substantially the same acute angle to the plane of the base wall as is defined by the forward edges of the side walls. The base shell 10 also has a stepped rear wall 17, whose vertical dimension is relatively small as compared with that of the other walls.

Cover shell 11, on the other hand, has an inclined top wall 18, which extends downwardly and rearwardly, an oppositely inclined front wall 19, which at its extreme forward edge is turned more sharply downwardly in a substantially vertical plane, and a pair of side walls 20 which are in part overlapped by the side walls 13 of the base shell when the cover is closed. A rear wall 21 is also provided on the cover which has a substantially greater vertical dimension than the rear wall 17 of the base shell, and forms, in effect, the major part of the back of the case. As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the case is of the front opening type, a pivotal connection between the cover and the base shells being afforded by pivot pins 22 afi'ixed to the respective side Walls 20 of the cover shell and retained in holes provided in the side walls 13 of the base shell. A double United States Patent 0 Patented June 2, 1959 2 acting spring 23 is provided for connection between the base and cover shells as shown. I

With reference now to Figs. 4 and 5, it will be observed that a platform 25 extends forwardly from the rear of the cover shell to the front of the base shell, the same being adapted to hinge or fold along a line 26 parallel to the pivot axis of the cover but displaced therefrom downwardly and rearwardly, when the cover is closed. For convenience, platform 25 is formed as an extension of the lining material 27 aflixed to the inside of the cover shell; and the aforementioned hinge line 26 is defined by the lower edge of the rear wall 21 of the cover shell. It should be apparent, however, that this mode of construction is not at all a requisite of the invention. What is significant is that in addition to being hinged at 26, the platform is also adapted to hinge along a line 28 overlying the base shell, preferably somewhat forwardly of its center. Furthermore, the front edge of the platform is adapted to abut the front wall sections of the base shell in the region where they intersect, which in eifect restrains the platform against forward movement. An article support member 29 of generally C-shaped configuration is attached to the platform between the fold lines 26 and 28 and as is apparent, this particular article support member is especially designed to mount a watch. Any convenient means for attaching the member 29 to the platform may be employed, the means illustrated comprising padded tabs 30 extending downwardly from the member 29 through the platform 25 and then being bent over against the undersurface of the platform.

In operation, when the cover is opened, a forward component of movement is imparted to the hinge line 26 owing to the position of the hinge line relative to the pivot axis 22 of the case. That is to say, the lower edge of the rear wall 21, which defines this hinge line, moves not only downwardly but forwardly in an arcuate path while the front edge of the platform is prevented from moving forwardly, by virtue of the fact that it abuts the front of the base. Consequently, the platform is caused to hinge or fold along the line 28 and this hinge line is caused to rise thereby forming a distinct hump. This presents an article such as a watch, mounted on the member 29, in a most attractive display position as clearly shown in Fig. 4. When the cover is returned to its closed position, the reverse of the above-described operation takes place. Thus, as shown in Fig. 5, the platform fiattens out and becomes very nearly horizontal, the article support member and whatever article is attached thereto having been lowered sufficiently so that it does not interfere with the cover. Preferably, the platform is designed to have a slight upward hump along the hinge line 28 even when the cover is in its closed position so as to eliminate the possibility of the platform folding downwardly rather than upwardly when the cover is opened.

Although the invention has been described in connection with a single preferred embodiment, various modifications of this embodiment that are within the spirit and scope of the invention, as required for cases of different shape, for example, or for displaying difierent kinds of articles, will no doubt occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, what is claimed is:

A case comprising a base shell, a cover pivotally connected to said base shell, an article display platform hinged to said cover along a line parallel to the pivot axis of the cover, said hinge line being disposed rearwardly of said pivot axis when the cover is closed and moving to a substantially more forward position when the cover is opened, and said platform extending forwardly from said cover to the front portion of said base and 3 i I 4 being formed in two sections adapted to hinge along a tioned hinge line is caused to rise thereby elevating an single line parallel to said pivot axis overlying said base, artiel m unted 011 said platform into a display position. said front portion of the base being adapted to restrain References Cited In the file 0f thls Patellt the forward edge of said platform agalnst mov ment 7 UNITED STATES PATENTS when said cover is opened so that when said first-men 5 tioned hinge line moves forwardly, said second-men- 1,665,001 Catala P 1928 2,622,955 Kramer Dec. 23, 1952 

